Vehicle enclosure

ABSTRACT

Method of controlling the climate in a recreational vehicle with an accessory door assembly such as for a golf cart, method of mounting a door assembly, and method of golfing. The door assembly includes a doorframe that can be secured to the vehicle, and a preferably rigid door that is easily mountable and demountable, and is movable between an open and closed position. The door can be secured to the vehicle in the open position so that the passengers have the option of riding in the vehicle while the door remains open. A hinge system minimizes the clearance necessary to open and close the door, and provides an optional assist feature that helps urge or bias the door to the open or closed position and maintain it there.

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending applicationSer. No. 11/053,574 filed Feb. 8, 2005, and a continuation-in-part ofco-pending Ser. No. 10/974,451 filed Oct. 27, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Enclosures for vehicles, including battery powered or gas poweredvehicles such as recreational vehicles, golf carts, neighborhoodelectric vehicles (NEV'S, which can be street-legal) and utilityvehicles to protect the occupants from inclement weather, are wellknown. In general, conventional golf cart enclosures utilize relativelyflimsy fabric material, which can be draped over the golf cart and/orgolf cart roof and secured in place such as with zippers, VELCRO orother fastening means. In addition to being unattractive, suchenclosures suffer from various drawbacks, including difficulty inobtaining ingress and egress from the cart, soiling of the fabric, lackof durability of the fabric and/or the fastening means, a requirementthat the doors remain closed during operation of the cart,unattractiveness, etc.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,801 to Tucker discloses a golf cartenclosure that encloses the rear of the cart as well as both sides ofthe occupants' compartment or cabin. The side enclosures utilize a topand bottom parallel channel system, with wheels that are guided in thechannels to move the door open and shut. The door includes a pluralityof vertical aluminum bars that support a vinyl panel.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,610 to Howard discloses a door system for a golfcart-like street legal vehicle. A pair of hinged doors is removable fromframework on each side of the vehicle. The framework is permanentlymounted to existing structure on the vehicle.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,714 to Chance discloses a demountable door for agolf cart. The door includes a panel of clear plastic that is linked tothe cart and is movable to allow access to the cart.

None of the foregoing embodiments provides an aesthetically pleasing,durable, weather resistant, easy to operate, readily removable doorsystem for vehicles such as golf carts. In addition, none provides adoor assembly where the door can be stored in the open position in anaesthetically pleasing manner and without risk of it unexpectedly and/orundesirably slamming shut during movement or sudden stopping of thevehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problems of the prior art have been overcome by the presentinvention, which provides an accessory door assembly for the normallyopen sides of a vehicle such as a recreational vehicle, NEV, utilityvehicle, or golf cart. The door assembly includes a doorframe that canbe secured to the vehicle, and a preferably rigid door that is easilymountable and demountable, and is movable between an open positionallowing ingress and egress from the vehicle, and a closed position. Thedoor can be secured to the vehicle in the open position so that thepassengers have the option of riding in the vehicle while the doorremains open. Preferably the door is contoured to match the contour ofthe vehicle, so that even when the door is stored in the open position,the vehicle remains aesthetically pleasing. A unique hinge system isutilized that minimizes the clearance necessary to open and close thedoor, and provides an optional assist feature that helps urge or biasthe door to the open or closed position and maintain it there. Thehinges are virtually hidden from view when viewed from the exterior ofthe vehicle, and are completely hidden when so viewed when the door isin the closed position. The door assembly remains aerodynamic andaesthetically pleasing whether in the open or closed position. Minimalmodification of the vehicle is necessary to install the door.

The door assembly enables effective climate control within the vehicle.The control of climate can be enhanced by the inclusion of a heatingand/or cooling system within the vehicle enclosure.

Also provided is a method of golfing, wherein a golfer enters thepassenger compartment of a golf cart, closes the aforementioned door,drives the golf cart to a desired location on a golf course, such as thelocation of the golfer's golf ball, opens the door, exits the golf cart,optionally closes the door, strikes the ball, returns to the golf cart,and optionally closes the door.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf cart including the door assemblyof a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a golf cart including the door assemblyof a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the golf cart of FIG. 1A with the doorin the open position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the golf cart of FIG. 1 with the door inthe open position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the top of the door frame showing thelocation of its attachment to the vehicle roof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the door frame showing thelocation of its attachment to the vehicle;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the door shown attached to the vehicleby an upper hinge system and a lower hinge assembly;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the lower hinge system in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the lower hinge assembly in accordancewith a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper door hinge assembly shownattached to the door and the vehicle;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a mount for the upper door hingeassembly;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the upperand lower door hinge assemblies;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the door assembly shown in the closedposition;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the door assembly shown in the openposition;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the plate assembly for removablyengaging the door; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the engagement of the plateassembly and the door.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning first to FIG. 1, there is shown at 10 a vehicle such as a golfcart suitable for use with the present invention. Although not to beconstrued as limiting, the door assembly of the present invention can beused with golf carts manufactured by Club Car, EZ-GO and Yamaha, withpreferably little or no modification to the vehicle itself. Thoseskilled in the art will also appreciate that the door assembly of theinvention is not limited to use on a golf cart; the door assembly alsocan be used on vehicles such as recreational vehicles, NEV's, utilityvehicles and other off-road vehicles, although for ease of illustration,golf carts will be exemplified herein. In general, the vehicle 10 hasfront and rear wheels, a chassis 15, on which is built a normally openpassenger compartment (with suitable seating, generally for twopassengers), an existing roof 11 having suitable supports, and awindshield 12, as shown. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe roof 11 and windshield 12 can be original equipment or added in theaftermarket. A pair of doors 20 in accordance with the present inventionis shown in the closed position on opposite sides of the vehicle 10. Thedoor assemblies are shown stored in the open position in FIG. 2. In theclosed position, the doors close the access opening to the passengercompartment defined in part by the vehicle chassis, the roof and thewindshield.

FIG. 1A illustrates an alternative embodiment that includes an auxiliarydoor panel 20A to close the gap that may be present with the door 20 inthe closed position. The gap is created as a result of the curvedcontour of the lower right or rearward portion of the door 20, thecurved contour allowing the rear wheel to remain exposed (when viewedfrom the side of the vehicle) even when the door is in the openposition, thereby maintaining an aesthetically pleasing design asdiscussed in greater detail below. As seen in FIG. 1B, preferably theauxiliary panel 20A is secured to the hinge member, so that as the door20 is opened, the auxiliary panel 20A swings with the hinge, remainsnear the passenger compartment (but is now facing in the oppositedirection), and therefore does not block the rear wheel.

Preferably the door assembly of the present invention is attached to thevehicle with minimal modification to the vehicle itself, utilizingexisting structure. To that end, as best seen in FIG. 3, the door frame16 can be affixed to the underside of the existing roof 11 usingexisting brackets 17A, 17B. These brackets, each of which includes apair of spaced flanges 117A, 117B are intended to support handle 14,shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. The handle is removed, and doorframebracket 18 is inserted in the spaces between flanges 117A and 117B andis secured to the brackets 17A, 17B by any suitable means, such as withrespective nuts 119 and bolts 120 as shown by the dotted lines in FIG.3. In the event the brackets 17A, 17B are not present in a particularvehicle, the doorframe can be affixed directly to the roof, or tosuitable roof extensions or brackets that can be added. The doorframebracket 18 preferably includes spaced holes that align with respectivecorresponding holes in the brackets 17A, 17B as shown.

As best seen in FIG. 4, doorframe 16 includes an elongated member 116that extends downwardly from the bracket 18 and terminates in a freefoot end 16A that is secured to the vehicle bumper 75, such as by bolt7. The elongated member 116 can be affixed to the bracket 18 by anysuitable means, such as welding. A suitable hole 8 can be drilled in thebumper 75 for securing the free foot end 16A thereto. As seen in FIG. 5,The doorframe 16 also includes a second elongated member 115 that isspaced from the first elongated member 116 and extends downwardly fromthe bracket 18, and is secured to plate 431 preferably near thepassenger seating area such as by welding. The second elongated member115 can be affixed to the bracket 18 by any suitable means, such as bywelding. In the preferred embodiment, the doorframe 16 is a continuousbent piece, and is preferably made of a rigid material, capable ofwithstanding repeated contact from the door itself. Suitable materialsof construction include steel, preferably tubular for increased support,metal, aluminum and plastic, with steel being preferred. Although thedoorframe 16 is intended to be permanently mounted to the vehicle andbecome an integral part thereof (since it does not interfere with a userentering or exiting the vehicle, nor does it interfere with theoperation or storage of the vehicle), it can be readily removed ifdesired. The doorframe defines a doorway which can be blocked by closingdoor 20, as discussed in greater detail below.

Door 20 is designed to fit within the doorframe 16 when the door is inthe closed position, blocking ingress into and egress from the passengercompartment, and preferably closing in a weather-tight manner. Theenvironment within the compartment defined with the doors closed can becontrolled. Preferably the door 20 (and auxiliary door panel 20A) ismade of a sturdy, durable, rigid material that can withstand harshenvironmental conditions, golf ball impact, and protect the passengersfrom weather. Suitable materials of construction include metal,stainless steel, aluminum and preferably plastic such as a polyolefin,including polyethylene and/or polypropylene. Preferably the doorincludes molded plastic supported about its perimeter by a tubular steelframework, and includes a transparent or translucent window portion 200to permit the passengers viewing access to the exterior of the vehicle.The window portion 200 can be formed of acrylic, polycarbonate or glass.

Turning now to FIGS. 5-7, embodiments of the door hinge assemblies areshown. In a first embodiment, an upper hinge assembly 30 includes arigid member 21 such as a threaded rod (FIG. 6) or a metal strip (FIG.5) having a first end pivotally attached to the door 20, and a secondopposite end pivotally attached to the vehicle 10 via bracket 331. Eachof the pivot points can be formed using any suitable means, such as apin 23 arrangement as shown. FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment formounting the upper hinge assembly to the cart 10. The rigid member 21and optional assist 335 are pivotally mounted to bracket 331′ as shown.Bracket 331′ is shaped to be received by receiving bracket 332 that ismounted to the cart 10. When bracket 331′ is properly positioned inreceiving bracket 332, holes in each align, allowing insertion of abolt, pin or preferably a spring-loaded quick release pin 280 toremovably secure the assembly to the cart.

FIG. 7A illustrates another embodiment of an upper hinge assembly. Inthis embodiment, the positioning of an L-shaped mounting bracket islocated inside the vehicle as shown. In order to maintain clearance asthe door swings from a closed position to an open position, the rigidmember 21 is bent in the vicinity near the doorway, preferably at anangle of about 25°, so that the member 21 does not contact the vehicleas the door moves. An additional advantage of so mounting the upperhinge assembly is that most of the mechanism is hidden from outsideview, particularly when the door is closed.

The upper hinge assembly 30 optionally also includes an assist 335,preferably a gas spring, compression of which causes energy to be storedin the device. The assist 335 is preferably mounted directly below (orabove) the rigid member 21 (in the same vertical plane), but with offsetpivot points located inwardly of the rigid member pivot points. Suitablepivot mounting configurations include eyelets and ball and socketconfigurations. When the door is positioned at the midpoint between theopen and closed position (the position shown in FIG. 5), the assist 335is in a neutral position. As the door swings past the midpoint position(either towards a closed position or an open position), the energystored in the assist 335 is slowly released, causing the rod 336 ofassist 335 to extend, which in turn assists in forcing the door to itsclosed or open position, as the case may be. When in the open or closedposition, the extension of rod 336 results in the length of the assist335 exceeding the length of rigid member 21. The assist 335 also helpsmaintain the door in the open or closed position. Preferably the assist335 is dampened, so that the door decelerates as it closes.

FIG. 5A illustrates lower hinge assembly 330, which includes a pair ofspaced rigid members 21A, 21B, each having a first end pivotallyattached to the door 20, and a second opposite end pivotally attached tothe vehicle 10 via plate 431. Preferably the rigid members 21A and 21Bare not horizontally aligned in order to ensure clearance duringoperation of the door 20. The rigid members 21A and 21B are of equallength, and are equal in length to rigid member 21 of upper hingeassembly 30, so that the door remains aligned with the frame. The rigidmembers 21, 21A and 21B are all preferably parallel. The particularlength chosen for the rigid members depends upon the distance (thediameter of the semi-circle formed during the path of door travel)desired for the door to open/close, as discussed in greater detailbelow. Each of the pivot points can be formed using any suitable means,such as a C-bracket 22 and pin 23 arrangement as shown. Preferably atleast one of the pin arrangements is adjustable, so that properalignment of the door is ensured. The lower hinge assembly 330 alsopreferably includes an assist 35 to help open and close door 20, such asa gas spring, compression of which results in energy being stored in thedevice. In the embodiment shown, the assist 35 is mounted directly below(or above) the rigid member 21A (in the same vertical plane), but withpivot points located inwardly of the rigid member 21A pivot points. Aswith assist 335, when the door is positioned at the midpoint between theopen and closed position, the assist 35 is in a neutral position. As thedoor swings past the midpoint position (either towards a closed positionor an open position), the energy stored in the assist 35 is slowlyreleased, causing the rod 36 of assist 35 to extend, which in turnassists in forcing the door to its closed or open position, as the casemay be, and maintaining it in that state. The assist 35 can be dampened,so that the door decelerates as it closes. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that for optimal operation of the door, at least three rigidmembers 21 should be used. Although in the embodiment shown, there isone upper rigid member 21 and two lower rigid members 21A, 21B, theupper hinge assembly could include two or more rigid members. Similarly,the lower hinge assemble could include only one rigid member 21, or twoor more. The three rigid members define three pivot locations offsetfrom horizontal with respect to each other, and offset vertically fromeach other. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that more thanthree pivot locations could be used with out departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

FIG. 5B shows an alternative embodiment of the lower hinge assembly,where the assist 35 is located at or near the midpoint between theplanes defined by the spaced rigid members 21A, 21B. That is, when thelower hinge assembly is in its maximum extended position (i.e., the dooris positioned at the midpoint between the open and closed position andis at its farthest point away from the vehicle), the assist 35 isparallel to the rigid members and is located at or near the midpointbetween their planes. Accordingly, movement of the rigid members ineither direction will cause the assist 35 to expand, thereby assistingin the movement of the door 20. As in the other embodiment, the assist35 is shorter in length than rigid members 21A, 21B and thus theopposite ends of assist 35 are fixed to flanges 91, 92 that are bentinwardly as shown in FIG. 5B. Rigid members 21A, 21B are hingedlyconnected to plate 431 that attaches to the vehicle, and opposite plate431′ that attaches to the door 20.

Turning now to FIGS. 8 and 9, the motion of the door 20 from the closedstate (FIG. 8) to the open state (FIG. 9) is shown. As the door is movedfrom the closed state to the open state (preferably manually), or fromthe open state to the closed state (preferably manually), its path oftravel defines a semi-circle, as depicted by arrow 100 in FIGS. 8 and 9.The semi-circle so defined is of equal diameter regardless of thereference point of the door used. For example, the semi-circle definedby the path of travel of reference point 90 on the front surface of thedoor as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 has the same diameter as the semi-circledefined by the path of travel of reference point 91 at the oppositemarginal side on the front surface of the door 20, or for that matter,of any other reference point at any other place, on the same surface ofthe door. Similarly, the paths of travel of the rigid members 21, 21Aand 21B also define semi-circles of equal diameters as viewed fromreference points at the same relative position on each rigid member. Asa result, opening and closing of the door 20 can be carried out evenwhen the vehicle is in a confined space. Indeed, substantially lessclearance is required than that of a door of identical size that ishinged at one end and swings outwardly, as the maximum distance the door20 of the present invention moves outwardly from the vehicle is lessthan the maximum width of the door 20.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 8, preferably the lower rearward side of the door20 is arc-shaped, configured to match the contour of rear wheel fender101 and leave the rear wheel 44 exposed. As a result, when the door isin the open position (FIGS. 2 and 9), it does not interfere with theoperation of the real wheel 44, and creates an aesthetically pleasingappearance. As indicated above, the distance that the door 20 isdesigned to open is dictated by the length of the rigid members 21, 21Aand 21B. Accordingly, this length preferably is chosen so that the lowerarc-shaped portion of the door 20 aligns with the similarly shapedfender (or wheel well) of the vehicle when the door 20 is in the open,stored position.

In the event the contour of the lower rearward portion of the doorresults in a gap or space in the doorway even when the door is in theclosed position, an auxiliary door panel 20A can be used to close oreliminate the gap as mentioned above. Preferably the auxiliary panel 20Ais positioned between the door 20 and the vehicle, and a portion of itextends beyond the lower rearward contoured portion of the door when thedoor is in the closed position so that it is visible when the door isclosed and blocks the gap that exposes the doorway that exists in viewof the contoured configuration of the rearward lower portion of the door20. Preferably the auxiliary panel 20A is secured to the forwardmost andlower rigid member 21A, as best seen in FIG. 5B. As the door is pivotedfrom its closed position to its open position, the auxiliary panel 20Afollows the path of the rigid member 20A, pivoting about 180°, until itis sandwiched between the vehicle and the frontward portion of the doorin the door open state, as shown in FIG. 1B. Preferably both the edgesof the door and edges of the auxiliary panel include a gasket 88 toimprove sealing against the vehicle.

FIG. 10 illustrates a preferred design for securing the plates 31 inplace. In this embodiment, the plate 31 on each side of the cart isaffixed to a traversing rod 50. The rod 50 spans the width of thevehicle 10, and is secured to the vehicle by any suitable means. Forexample, the rod 50 can include a flange 51 that is bolted underneaththe passenger seat, preferably at multiple locations to ensure it'sstability.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the door 20 is easily attached and removedfrom the vehicle using a self-aligning plate assembly. To that end,plate 31 has a trapezoidal shape, defined by downwardly sloped side 61,bottom 62 and upwardly sloped side 63. Plate 431 includes a bracket 70secured thereto, such as by welding, the bracket 70 including a firstbent flange 71 that with plate 431, is shaped and dimensioned to definea gap to slidingly engage side 61 of plate 31. Bracket 70 also includesa second bent flange 73 that together with plate 431, is shaped anddimensioned to define a gap to slidingly engage side 63 of plate 31.Accordingly, to mount the door 20 to the vehicle, the door 20 ispositioned so that the bracket 70 is vertically positioned over plate 31so that bent flange 71 is aligned over side 61, and bent flange 73 isaligned over side 63. The door 20 is then moved downwardly, in thedirection of the arrows in FIG. 11, so that bracket 70 slidinglyreceives plate 31 and retains the door in place. In view of thetrapezoidal shape of the plate 31 and bracket 70, the mating of the twois self-aligning. Quick-release pins can be used to further secure theplate 431 to the plate 31. Upper hinge assembly 30 is attached bysliding bracket 331′ into receiver 332 (FIG. 7) and securing it in placewith pin 280. Preferably the door mount is positioned so that the door,when properly mounted, is angled slightly outwardly, from top to bottom,at an angle of about 4°. This allows the door to close under the roofedge, and also provides additional room in the enclosed compartment.

To dismount the door 20, the quick-release pins are removed, and thedoor is lifted from the plate 31 and the upper hinge assembly 30 isremoved from receiver 332.

Turning back to FIG. 1, there is shown front panels 80, 80′. The panels80, 80′ are preferably permanently installed, since they do notinterfere with the ingress or egress from the passenger compartment,although the panels could be made to be removable if desired. Each panelis secured to a windshield support strut and to doorframe elongatedmember 116, and is preferably a molded piece made of plastic. The panels80, 80′ preferably include a transparent or translucent window made ofacrylic, polycarbonate or glass to enhance passenger visibility. Theedge of each panel abutting the closed door is preferably formed with agroove to receive the door edge when the door is in the closed state.Back panels 85 can be included to further enclose the passengercompartment. Preferably the back panels 85 are secured to the roofsupports, roof and doorframe elongated member 115. The back panel ispreferably curved in order to accommodate the contour of the vehicle asit transitions from the vehicle side to the vehicle rear. A rearcurtain, such as a vinyl sheet, can be provided between the two backpanels to complete the enclosure. The rear panel can be attached to theroof and/or roof supports by any suitable means, including a series ofspaced snaps or with VELCRO. The rear curtain can be rolled up andstored at or near the roofline. Alternatively, a rigid rear curtain,similar to the back panels, can be used. A top header can be providedbetween the front and rear panels against which the top of the doorseals in the closed position.

To further retain or lock the door 20 in its open and/or closedposition, an optional manually operable latch can be used that attachesto the elongated member 116 in the door-closed state, and to elongatedmember 115 in the door-open state. Alternatively or in addition, magnetscan be used to retain the door open or closed. In the embodiment wherethe vehicle is a golf cart, the door assembly of the present inventionallows for quick and easy access into and egress from the passengercompartment of the golf cart, and also allows the golfer the option ofriding with the door in the open position (such as once the weather hasimproved). Thus, one or more golfers enter the passenger compartment ofthe golf cart, close the aforementioned door or doors, drives the golfcart to a desired location on a golf course, such as the location of thegolfer's golf ball, opens the door, exits the golf cart, strikes theball, returns to the golf cart, and optionally closes the door. Thegolfer (or another passenger riding in the golf cart) may optionallyclose the door after the golfer exits the golf cart in order to helpmaintain the climate within the passenger compartment.

The doors, the front and rear panels and the rear curtain combine toenclose the passenger compartment in which the climate, particularlyincluding the temperature but also potentially the humidity, can befurther controlled such as with a heating unit that can be installed tosupply heat to the compartment. For example, an overhead console can beinstalled in the compartment, such as by securing it to the existingroof. The unit can include a heating mechanism such as an electricheating element or black heat, and a variable speed fan, as well asmulti-direction louvers to aim the airflow. The unit can be wired to thevehicle battery for power. The power supply can relay off the vehicleacceleration peddle so that the unit runs only when the peddle isdepressed, thereby avoiding unnecessary battery drain. Cooling air alsocan be provided.

In view of the effective seal that is created when the door is closed(the perimeter of the door preferably includes a rubber gasket), and inview of the relatively small passenger compartment, the climate withinthe compartment can be maintained at an acceptable temperature or withinan acceptable temperature range. In the case of a golf cart, despite thenumerous openings and closings of the doors that are necessary to allowthe golfer(s) to exit the vehicle, strike their ball and return to thevehicle, the temperature within the compartment nevertheless can beeasily maintained within the desired range with the climate controlsystem of the invention. For example, on a cold day, if heat is lost inthe compartment upon opening one or both of the doors, it quickly can bereturned to the desired temperature upon closing the doors and settingthe heater to the appropriate temperature.

1. A method of mounting a door to a vehicle having a bumper and anexisting roof, comprising: affixing a door frame to said existing roofand to said bumper, said door frame defining a doorway; mounting a doorto said vehicle with a hinge assembly to provide a path of door travelfrom a door closed position where said door blocks said doorway to adoor open position where said doorway is open, said path of travel beingsuch that any two points on said door travel in semi circles of the samediameter, and wherein said door pivots at at least three locationsoffset horizontally and offset vertically from one another.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a golf cart.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising assisting said door to said open or closedposition with a gas spring.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein saidvehicle has an existing handle secured to said roof, and wherein saidstep of affixing said door frame to said existing roof comprisesremoving said handle and securing said door frame in its place.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said hinge assembly comprises at least threerigid members each pivotally attached to said door and said vehicle,said at least three rigid members being parallel.
 6. The method of claim5, wherein the lengths of said three rigid members define the distanceof travel of said door from said door open position to said door closedposition.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein a door mounting plate isaffixed to said vehicle, said door has a bracket affixed thereto andwherein said mounting step further comprises aligning said door on saidvehicle by engaging said bracket with said door mounting plate.
 8. Themethod of claim 7, wherein said bracket and plate have a trapezoidalshape.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein said door is removably engagedwith said door mounting plate.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein saiddoor pivots at at least three locations offset horizontally and offsetvertically from one another.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein saidhinge assembly is hidden from exterior view when said door is in saidclosed position.
 12. A method of mounting a door to a vehicle having achassis and an existing roof, comprising: affixing a door frame to saidexisting roof and to said chassis, said door frame defining a doorway;mounting a door to said vehicle with a hinge assembly to provide a pathof door travel from a door closed position where said door blocks saiddoorway to a door open position where said doorway is open, said path oftravel being such that any two points on said door travel in semicircles of the same diameter; and assisting said door to said open orclosed position with a gas spring.
 13. A method of mounting a door to avehicle having a chassis and an existing roof, comprising: affixing adoor frame to said existing roof and to said chassis, said door framedefining a doorway; mounting a door to said vehicle with a hingeassembly to provide a path of door travel from a door closed positionwhere said door blocks said doorway to a door open position where saiddoorway is open, said path of travel being such that any two points onsaid door travel in semi circles of the same diameter; wherein saidvehicle has an existing handle secured to said roof, and wherein saidstep of affixing said door frame to said existing roof comprisesremoving said handle and securing said door frame in its place.
 14. Amethod of mounting a door to a vehicle having a chassis and an existingroof, comprising: affixing a door frame to said existing roof and tosaid chassis, said door frame defining a doorway; mounting a door tosaid vehicle with a hinge assembly to provide a path of door travel froma door closed position where said door blocks said doorway to a dooropen position where said doorway is open, said path of travel being suchthat any two points on said door travel in semi circles of the samediameter; wherein a door mounting plate is affixed to said vehicle, saiddoor has a bracket affixed thereto and wherein said mounting stepfurther comprises aligning said door on said vehicle by engaging saidbracket with said door mounting plate.
 15. The method of claim 14,wherein said bracket and plate have a trapezoidal shape.